Town Square

Tried to Buy at Farmer's Market, Ended up at Safeway

As a long time farmer's market patron I arrived there this morning at 8:50, 10 minutes before the official opening. However, all of the merchants were there and set up. I had an appointment that required me to be on the road by 9 AM so my plan was to buy the produce for the coming week at the market, 10 minutes early. The merchants were not allowed to sell me one single thing before 9 AM due to the rules of the Pacific Coast Farmer's Market association that runs the market. Ten whole minutes before the official opening and you sent me to Safeway due to your stupidity.

Too bad that these rule enforcers don't bother to enforce the law that says no dogs allowed at the market. The health department can and will shut down this market for allowing dogs to roam but that does not cause the PCFM people to enforce that. They are more concerned with prohibiting vendors from selling 10 minutes early. Too stupid to be believed.

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Posted by Plain ol' common sense
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Mar 15, 2014 at 9:34 pm

... and by going to Safeway, parking, picking out and buying produce there, standing in line, I imagine you must have gotten on the road by 10:00AM. Should've stayed at the market another ten minutes, and you'd have been out of there by 9:15.

Please place downtown shoppers post into the following file: Cutting off one's nose to spite one's face; and then blaming the knife manufacturer because the cut wasn't as clean as the cutter would have preferred.

Posted by Chris Crocker
a resident of Vineyard Avenue
on Mar 16, 2014 at 8:52 am

I just read your post, and I simply cannot stop crying. What a miscarriage of justice! All you wanted was some produce! How dumb is it that these farmers obeyed the rules when you were in such desperate need of some carrots?!? I don't understand why they don't just get there an hour earlier so they'll be ready if you come by before they're open. Don't they understand how important your time is? What if there's some sort of asparagus emergency and they're not there for you in your hour of need? Ridiculous!

Posted by Get the facts
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Mar 16, 2014 at 3:35 pm

Here's a question: is there any place that a dog is NOT allowed anymore? As I was walking downtown last night, I saw a dog in the lap of a diner at one of the outside seats of one of the many restaurants on Main St.

I love my dog, but I leave it at home when I eat at a restaurant. And almost everywhere I go.

Posted by downtown shopper
a resident of Downtown
on Mar 16, 2014 at 4:48 pm

POCS -- think for just a minute, if you can. I went to my appointments first and had to shop at Safeway afterward because the farmer's market was closed. And the vendors were open and ready to sell, the PCFM person came by and told the vendor not to sell to me for another 10 minutes. Stupid. Poor farmer lost the sale because some bureaucratic idiot decided to make an example of the farmer. Yet they did nothing about the dog that was peeing on the support pole of the tent. Yeah, I do want the "no dogs" rule enforced. People are stupid about that, not all of us like dog fur, dog pee, and dog poop all over the places that we buy food or eat. Take a look at the downtown any day and you will see dozens of piles of dog poop left by those people too thoughtless and clueless to care about picking up after their dogs.

Posted by Al
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Mar 16, 2014 at 5:18 pm

I go to the Farmers Market often. I've never seen a dog being a problem. That doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but all I ever see are well-behaved dogs on leashes. Polite people. Vendors with good things. Everyone obeying the rules. Works for me. Good for the vendor for not bending the rules for you.

Posted by Get the facts
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Mar 16, 2014 at 5:40 pm

It is not about the dog owners being responsible or not. There are signs posted at each end stating that dogs are not allowed. I believe, but cannot confirm, that it is against county health codes to have animals in that kind of proximity to food. (I cannot find any farmer's market online that allows pets.) So "Al", when you say "Everyone following the rules", that's not true. You cannot walk end to end without seeing about a dozen dogs. I've never seen the dogs be a problem either, but they're not allowed. Leave your dogs at home, people, they can be without you for an hour.

Posted by downtown shopper
a resident of Downtown
on Mar 16, 2014 at 5:50 pm

Thanks GTF, you are absolutely correct. I have spoken to the head of the Alameda County Health Dept (Don Atkinson-Adams) and he said that all he needs is for people to send cell phone pics of dogs in ANY farmer's market in this county and he will take steps to shut down the market. It makes no difference how well behaved the dog is, they are simply forbidden to be in the market. The selfish morons who insist on taking their "babies" everywhere are putting the market at risk for everyone.

Posted by Get the facts
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Mar 16, 2014 at 6:03 pm

But let's not do that. I'd rather have the dogs than lose the market. Maybe the city can actually just enforce the no dogs policy by stopping people on the way in, or start writing citations. I'm guessing none of us want the market shut down.

Posted by Plain Ol' Common Sense
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Mar 16, 2014 at 7:32 pm

Wow, Downtown Shopper seems to be a dog hater. Wash your fruit and vegetables after you get home. Respect the 'open at 9 Am' signs, don't try to bully vendors into selling you their best stuff before the rest of us are given an opportunity to buy. You'll survive. And if not, there's always therapy to work on your anger issues.

Posted by Al
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Mar 17, 2014 at 9:34 am

Thanks, guys. I did not know about the "no dogs" rule. Or about how serious it can be re shutting down the market. I never take my dog there because I think a dog risks getting stepped on. Plus my hands are usually full of good things. So I never paid attn. I stand corrected.

Posted by pleasantonwasnice40yearsago
a resident of Del Prado
on Mar 17, 2014 at 11:28 am

Hey plain Ol' common sense
Just because she wanted everyone to follow the rules makes her a "dog Hater"
I love cats and dogs but i cant stand some of the dog owners who hate people or have no respect for them or the rules. It appears to me the people who ignore the rules and have no respect for other are the haters. Im sure most of these people can read but ignore the signs because they are selfish. Welcome to the new Pleasanton. Maybe the dog owners should respect the other patrons. Respect is a two way street.

Posted by Mitch
a resident of another community
on Mar 19, 2014 at 11:10 am

@John

"She" (where did you derive the OPs sex from, must be your wife?) only brought up the dog issue after she was told "No." That was absolutely not her point. She is basically pointing and saying "Look, they are breaking the rules over there, I should be able to break them over here, too."

The OP sounds like a terrible person to do business with, comes in a rush before opening and wants to be the exception, then punishes the vendor for the mistaken judgement(some might call them rules) of the PCFM.

Also, the odds of the Farmers Market getting shut down because of dogs walking around is 0.0%, now you are just grasping for anything. Let's also not forget that service dogs are allowed anywhere, and lots of entitled Pleasantonians are quick to label their animal is such, since they don't think the rules apply to them, either.

Posted by john
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Mar 19, 2014 at 2:19 pm

Mitch,

I was using the generic "she", like I sometimes use "he" rather than he/she.

At any rate, scroll up:

"Yeah, I do want the "no dogs" rule enforced. People are stupid about that, not all of us like dog fur, dog pee, and dog poop all over the places that we buy food or eat. Take a look at the downtown any day and you will see dozens of piles of dog poop left by those people too thoughtless and clueless to care about picking up after their dogs."

To the person that posted this......are you kidding me? You're mad because these hard working farmers didn't break rules just for you and jeopardize their spots by doing so? Do you have any idea how many years the waiting list is for those farmers that want a spot there? How dare you ask any of the hard working people to jeopardize their livelihood so you could make an appt. Here's a thought,...next time schedule your appointment later instead of asking farmers to risk so much for you. I bet the farmers would prefer you shop at Safeway rather than harass them.

And by the way, I'm sure there's a reason for the rule and probably is meant to even the playing field for all farmers so they are all ready for business at the same time. If "early birds" we're allowed it would just get earlier and earlier.

Anyway, move to Danville. Maybe you can pay off someone there to have private shopping time at their farmer's market.

Posted by Annalise
a resident of Mission Park
on Mar 20, 2014 at 7:06 am

WHY isn't the dog rule enforced???
Just because you like your dog doesn't mean everyone does. And don't tell me, 'oh the dog enjoys it' It's a DOG. He would be just as happy at home!
It really bothers me in the summer to see the poor dogs walking on hot pavement. Oh yeah, they enjoy that.
Take off your shoes and walk around on it.
They don't enjoy it anymore than you would.
Dogs are NOT allowed in food areas so why doesn't anyone do anything about it??

Posted by Time for a climate survey
a resident of Downtown
on Mar 20, 2014 at 10:45 pm

The poster said: "Ten whole minutes before the official opening and you sent me to Safeway due to your stupidity. Too bad that these rule enforcers don't bother to enforce the law that says no dogs allowed at the market. The health department can and will shut down this market for allowing dogs to roam but that does not cause the PCFM people to enforce that. They are more concerned with prohibiting vendors from selling 10 minutes early. Too stupid to be believed."

Well, gosh, all those rules. Time to file a grievance with Peggy Carpenter. Have whoever runs the Farmer's Market removed from their position immediately!